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Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup Day Tips (Friday)

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13:30: JCB Triumph Hurdle 2m 1f

Apple's Shakira @ 6/4 (B J Geraghty/ Henderson, N)

14:10: Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle 2m 1f

Whiskey Sour @ 14/1 (D J Mullins/ Mullins, W)

14:50: Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle 3m

Chris's Dream @ 7/1 (M P Walsh/ Bromhead, H De)

15:30: Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase 3m 2½f

Native River @ 9/2 (R Johnson/ Tizzard, C)

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16:10: St. James's Place Foxhunter Steeple Chase Challenge Cup 3m 2½f

Burning Ambition @ 7/2 (Mr J J Codd/ Power, P)

16:50: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle 2m 4½f

Diese Des Bieffes @ 8/1 (James Bowen/ Henderson, N)

17:30: Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase 2m 1½f

Don't Touch It @ 9/1 (M P Walsh/ Harrington, Mrs J)

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Everything you need to know about the Cheltenham Festival 2018

The Cheltenham Festival 2018 is fast approaching and begins on 13th March with the Supreme Novice’s Hurdle. Here is everything you need to know about the big four days at Prestbury Park in this amazing day giving us excuse to bet on sports

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When is the Cheltenham Festival?

The 2018 Cheltenham Festival will take place between Tuesday, March 13 and Friday, March 16.

Where is the Cheltenham Festival?

The meeting takes place at Cheltenham Racecourse, Prestbury Park, on the outskirts of the Gloucestershire spa town of Cheltenham.

How do I buy tickets?

The easiest way is usually to buy tickets through the racecourse’s website. On-the-day sales are sometimes an option, but are not recommended and the final day of the meeting, headlined by the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup, historically sells out.

How do I follow it on TV and online?

Coverage of the Cheltenham Festival will be on ITV, which will show the first five races on each of the four days. Full televised coverage of all 28 races can be found on the Racing UK subscription channel.

What are the big races?

The four main championship races headline each of the four days. Tuesday, known as Champion Day, includes the Champion Hurdle. Wednesday, Ladies’ Day, the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Thursday is known as St Patrick’s Thursday, whichever date it happens to fall on, and hosts the Stayers’ Hurdle (as well as the de facto fifth championship event, the Ryanair Chase). Gold Cup day features the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the most prestigious prize in jumps racing.

What about the other races?

Just about every division in National Hunt racing is covered in the Cheltenham Festival, which earns it the moniker of jump racing’s Olympics. Some races are subject to long-term sponsorship deals and are better known by those names. The full schedule is as follows:

At the time of writing, two of last year’s champions are on course to mount a strong defence of their title. Buveur D’Air is a warm order for a second Champion Hurdle, while Sizing John has good claims of following up in what looks an open Gold Cup.

Special Tiara, last year’s Champion Chase winner, is also a likely runner but has looked a fading force this season. He also has to contend with jump racing’s rising star Altior, who won the Racing Post Arkle last year and remains unbeaten over both hurdles and fences.

One of the star human names is Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins, who along with stable jockey Ruby Walsh has plundered plenty of prizes at the meeting in recent seasons, especially on day one. British champion trainer Nicky Henderson is set for a big week with both Altior and Buveur D’Air in his care, while Gordon Elliott, last year’s leading trainer at the meeting, saddles big novice hurdle hope and Irish banker Samcro in the Ballymore.

About Cheltenham Racecourse

Cheltenham is at the heart of almost every aspect of Jump racing. This is the place where owners, trainers, jockeys, stable staff and breeders dream of having winners. It’s the place where the most important races are run. This is where many stars of the future go through the sale ring. But most of all, this is the place where the equine and human champions forge their reputations.

As always, there is much to look forward to in the season, with 16 exciting days of top class Jump racing. Hundreds of thousands of racing fans come to Cheltenham every year, but you don’t need to be an expert to make lasting memories.The wide variety of experiences range from the relaxed feel of the meetings in October and April, to the heady excitement of The November Meeting and the family fun of New Year’s Day.

However, the focus of any jumping season is always The Cheltenham Festival which is the shining jewel in jump-racing’s crown. It is four days of magic, magnificence and madness, played out on a stage framed by the breathtaking vista of the Cotswold Hills. It features a cast of the best horses, jockeys and trainers playing to an audience of 260,000 people, all of whom are determined to have the time of their lives.

£45 million redevelopment of the Home of Jump racing

Cheltenham Racecourse opened its new, five and a half storey grandstand, The Princess Royal Stand, on the first day of The Open, Friday 13th November 2015, on time and on budget. The grandstand is the final part of a £45million redevelopment of the course.

Over a 19month period, from 2013-2015, a number of different areas of Cheltenham Racecourse were redeveloped, with the new stand the centrepiece of the project. The grandstand provides a number of bars, toilets, restaurants, private boxes and viewing facilities for racegoers.

The ground floor of The Princess Royal Stand consists of a public bar, called the Vestey Bar after Lord Vestey who was Chairman of Cheltenham for 21 years until 2011. A bistro also provides hot food and a seafood offering.

The first floor of the stand provides a great new bar for Annual Members who have access directly onto their own section of steppings looking on to the racecourse. The remainder of the first floor is the Big Buck’s Champagne Bar, named after the horse that won an unprecedented four World Hurdles and 18 consecutive races, also with direct access onto the viewing steps of the grandstand.

The second floor of the grandstand consists of an Owners & Trainers Bar, with a balcony overlooking the Parade Ring, horsewalk and course and The Cotswolds Club, an area available to those who used to have one of the A+R boxes which were removed to make way for the new stand.

Moving up a floor, the third floor, to The Royal Box and 11 private boxes. Finally the top floor houses The Cheltenham Club, where members are allocated a table for the season, from which to enjoy a four course, a la carte lunch, stunning views of Cleeve Hill and the Malvern Hills at the back of the stand and even a fireplace to keep warm between races during the winter months. This facility provides an unrivaled offer of fine dining combined with a stunning sporting setting.

The opening of the new stand signified the end of a £45million redevelopment of Cheltenham Racecourse, the largest of its kind by The Jockey Club. A total of 14 different projects have been completed over the 19 month construction period, including a refurbished weighing room, a new first aid room and the new crescent walkway which greatly assists racegoers’ mobility behind the grandstand and offer additional viewing of the parade ring.

Paul Fisher, Group Managing Director of Jockey Club Racecourses, commented at the time: “The Jockey Club exists to support the long-term future of British racing and we see this £45m development as an important investment in Cheltenham and Jump Racing as a whole, on the back of putting more than £400m back into our sport in just the last decade.

“We’ve been delighted with the feedback as each project within the development has been completed and opened, but the centerpiece has always been the fantastic new grandstand. We were clear we wanted to offer something for everyone in the facility and a huge credit must go to all of the Cheltenham team as well as our development partners, primarily Kier, and architects Roberts Limbrick for completing a project of this scale not only on budget but ahead of schedule and to a standard fitting of the Home of Jump racing.”

The History of The Cheltenham Festival

The first organised Flat race meeting in Cheltenham took place in 1815 on Nottingham Hill, with the first races on Cleeve Hill in August 1818. Racing’s popularity soared over the next decade with crowds of 30,000 visiting the racecourse for its annual two day July meeting featuring the Gold Cup, a 3m flat race. Since 1815 we've been betting on horses! You'd think we'd be good at it by now!

In 1829, Cheltenham’s Parish Priest, Reverend Francis Close, preached the evils of horseracing and aroused such strong feeling amongst his congregation that the race meeting in 1830 was disrupted. Before the following year’s meeting the grandstand was burnt to the ground!

To overcome this violent opposition the racecourse was moved to Prestbury Park, its current venue, in 1831. Steeplechasing became established in nearby Andoversford from 1834 and moved to the present course in 1898.

In 1964, Racecourse Holdings Trust (now Jockey Club Racecourses) was formed to secure the future of Cheltenham. The group now owns 13 other racecourses – a combination of jump, flat, dual purpose and all weather racecourses. Wholly owned in a trust by The Jockey Club, the racecourses reinvest all profits into the 14 racecourses to ensure the continued success and development of British horseracing.

The changing face of Cheltenham Racecourse 1950s

The stands changed little between the 1930s and 1950s when the National Hunt Steeplechase course ran behind the back of the stands.

1960s and 1970s

The original Tattersalls Grandstand was opened in 1960 to cope with growing crowds. The Weighing Room was underneath the Festival Restaurant and the Winners Enclosure above the Parade Ring. During this period the centre of the racecourse was developed and became a popular raceday enclosure.

1980s

The main Grandstand was completed in 1979 and extended twice in the 1980s. The top two levels were dedicated entirely to Private Hospitality, and in 1982 the Parade Ring, Weighing Room and Hurdlers Hall were built behind the stands with terraced viewing for 4,000.

1990s

The new stables complex was opened in 1990 adjacent to Hunters Lodge, our stable staff hotel built three years earlier to sleep 124. The Pre-Parade Ring was used for the first time in 1992 and Hall of Fame Entrance officially opened in 1993.

The Cross Country Course was introduced in 1995 and is now raced on three times each season, including The Festival. The race weaves around the centre of the course with natural obstacles including hedges, banks and ditches. In 1997, the original Tattersalls Grandstand was knocked down and replaced with tiered viewing and the Panoramic Restaurant which boasts spectacular views across the racecourse.

The Millennium

During 2003-2004, £3m was invested in the Best Mate Enclosure in the centre of the racecourse, giving a new grandstand and arguably one of the best views of racing. During the same period, £17m was invested in providing additional raceday facilities with The Centaur, a new conference and events centre. Accommodating up to 4,000 visitors, The Centaur is the biggest venue of its kind between Birmingham and Bournemouth. In 2005, The Festival was successfully extended to four days.

Investing in the future

The racecourse employs more than 80 permanent staff, which rises to approximately 1,000 for a race meeting and more than 5,000 at The Festival. The Festival is worth an estimated £100m to the local economy and hosts the largest tented village of any kind at a sporting event. Prize money at Cheltenham exceeds £6m throughout the season with £4.1m on offer at The Festival alone, making it the most valuable and prestigious fixture in Jump racing.

The racecourse is also home to many other organizations and businesses including Cotswold RDA, Cheltenham Archery and Clubs for Angling and Model Aircraft. Throughout the year we welcome over 700,000 visitors to the racecourse and hope that every visitor – horse or human – enjoy their visit and will be back soon.

About The Jockey Club

Cheltenham racecourse is part of the The Jockey Club, the largest commercial group in British horse racing. With a 266-year heritage at the heart of British racing and governed by Royal Charter, The Jockey Club invests all profits back into the UK’s second biggest spectator sport.

The Jockey Club owns 14 leading racecourses, including Aintree, home of the Randox Health Grand National; Cheltenham, stage for the prestigious Cheltenham Festival; Epsom Downs, home to the Investec Derby; and Newmarket’s Rowley Mile and July Course, considered Flat racing’s global HQ.

Other parts of its Group include Jockey Club Estates which operates the famous training grounds at Newmarket and Lambourn; The National Stud, its Thoroughbred breeding, boarding and education arm; and charity, Racing Welfare, which offers help to all racing’s people in need.

The Jockey Club is also the largest shareholder in QIPCO British Champions Series, which aims to throw the spotlight on the very best races in the UK Flat season, and climaxes with QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot in October each year.

It is also the largest shareholder in media company, Racecourse Media Group, which includes satellite TV channel, Racing UK, online service, RacingUK.com and betting shop TV service, TurfTV.

Cheltenham Racecourse Committee:

CHAIRMAN

Robert Waley-Cohen – Robert took over as Chairman from Lord Vestey after The Festival in 2011 when his horse Long Run won the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Robert has owned four other Festival winners and five winners over the Grand National fences. Robert has been on the committee of the TBA National Hunt Committee since 2006 and Chairman since 2010. He has been a member of the BHA Jump Race Committee since 2010. Robert served as a Steward of The Jockey Club from 1995 to 2000, the last three years as Deputy Senior Steward and was Chairman of the Point-to-Point Authority from 2005 to 2011.

COMMITTEE

Rupert Sweeting – Rupert was a successful amateur jockey and continues to steward at Aintree, Ascot, Newbury, Towcester, Warwick and Windsor. He is on the Licensing Committee of the BHA. He has three broodmares and a filly in training with David Pipe. He is a proprietary partner of Knight Frank heading up the Country Department and is a director of Heritage Diversified Investments PCC Ltd.

Alice Fox-Pitt – After starting out as a runner on Festival Radio, Alice, née Alice Plunkett, moved on to having her own show there, at the Derby and Royal Ascot. She then did a screen test for the Racing Channel and worked there until the broadcaster closed, then becoming a host on At the Races before moving across to Racing UK on its inception. Her role on Channel 4 Racing began with the Lunchtime Show and she was brought into the main team in 2001. She now fronts all the Jump racing action for Channel 4 and from 2017 ITV Racing. She is the only woman to have ridden around both Aintree and Badminton Horse Trials. She represented Great Britain at the European Three-Day Event Championships under 21 and, as an amateur rider, partnered winners over hurdles, point-to-points and charity Flat races.Plunkett is married to eventer William Fox-Pitt and they live in Dorset with their four children.

William Rucker – William is Chief Executive of Lazard in London. He is also Chairman of Crest Nicholson Holdings plc and Quintain Estates & Development plc. He has many horses in training with Evan Williams and his horses have finished in the top four in six runnings of the Grand National, with familiar names such as Cappa Bleu and State Of Play, the latter of which also won the 2006 Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury. He also has horses in training with Fergal O’Brien and with Sir Mark Prescott on the Flat.

William Vestey – William has grown up with Cheltenham Racecourse as a big part of his life, as his father Lord Vestey was Chairman for over two decades. He is Lord Vestey’s elder son and is Associate Director for the family business, Vestey Group. William has horses in training with Jeremy Noseda, Nicky Henderson and Charlie Longsdon.

Sir Richard Stagg KCMG – Sir Richard joined the Cheltenham Racecourse Committee at the start of the 2015/16 season. He had recently retired from the Foreign Office, having been High Commissioner to India from 2007 until 2011 and after that was Ambassador to Afghanistan from 2012 until 2015. He is Chairman of Rothschild India. He has owned a number of racehorses in the past and has a varied background in racing from sponsoring pony racing on the ice in Bulgaria; to presenting the Queen’s Cup at Calcutta Races.